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TO EXPRESS CONCERN, WHICH HE CLAIMED WAS SHARED BY THE JAPANESE
AND THAIS, ABOUT THIS PROPOSAL. HE THOUGHT SUCH A MOVE COULD
LEAD TO QUESTIONS ABOUT HONG KONG'S QUOTE COLONIAL UNQUOTE STATUS.
HE SUGGESTED INSTEAD THAT HONG KONG SHOULD APPLY IN ITS OWN
RIGHT AS A MEMBER OF THE BRITISH ENSEMBLE OF OVERSEAS POSTAL
AUTHORITIES (IE AS A MEMBER OF THE UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION.)
IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF THE NEW ZEALANDERS COULD EXPLAIN HOW
THEIR PROPOSAL FITS INTO APPU'S CONSTITUTION AND THE CURRENT PRO-
CEDURE FOR SUCH AN APPLICATION. ARE THE NEW ZEALANDERS CONFIDENT
THAT THERE WILL NOT IN ANY CASE BE CONTROVERSY OVER HONG KONG'S
ATTENDANCE?
5. WE HAVE ALSO RECEIVED A REQUEST FROM THE BRUNEI POSTAL
AUTHORITIES TO ATTEND THE COUNCIL MEETING. IN VIEW OF BRUNEI'S
DIFFERENT STATUS, WE DO NOT ANTICIPATE THE SAME DIFFICULTIES
AS WITH HONG KONG. WE INTEND TO APPLY FOR OBSERVER STATUS ON
BRUNEI'S BEHALF AND SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR THE ADVICE OF THE
NEW ZEALAND MFA ON THE APPROPRIATE PROCEDURE.
HURD
NNNN
DISTRIBUTION:-
MINIMAL
ESSD
FED
HKGD
SEAD
COPIES TO:-
MR WATTS, LEGAL ADVISERS
MISS S SMITH, DOI
SPD
2
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